If Espinosa hit .275 and struck out about 15% of the time, his fielding would make him a starter, or at least would give the Nats a question among Espi, Rendon, RZim, and LaRoche. His 2011/2012 hitting suggests that he over-swings and strikes out too often. He led the league in K's last year, and was near the top in 2011. Striking out might not be a big deal if we were talking about Mickey Mantle or android Jason Giambi or dozens of real players who hit 40 homers a year. Espi is not those guys: he is a fast, sure-handed, strong-armed middle-infielder. He's swinging like a guy he is not. In the minors, he struck out a lot, drew few walks, and hit about .265.
At his best, Espi might be a hitter who typically hits .245 with 15 homers and 150 K's. (Lombo with less plate-sense but more power). That's a guess based on his hitting in the minors plus two full seasons with the Nats.
Even to do that, I wish Espi would:
- Repair his shoulder
- Give his wrist time to heal
- Work with a real hitting instructor
- Give up the "tater" obsession
